Scale-measure



flatten States ATENT SCALEJVIEASURE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 397,128, dated February 5, 1889.

Application filed May 19, 1888. gerial No. 274,367. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, STEPHEN JONEs ll ESTER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fulton, in the county of Fulton and State of Kentucky, have invented a new and useful improvement in Measuring Instruments, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in scale-measures.

The object of the invention is lhe prmluction of an instrument capable of imlieating with accuracy the angles at which the ends of those rafters must be cut that are employed in the construction of gable-roofed houses.

The invent-ion consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure l is a plan view of the square, showing the legs swiveled together, and one of the legs provided with a notched sector-plate, and the other leg having a spring-actuated pawl. Fig. is a detail plan View illustrating the legs turned at an angle different from that shown in Fig. 1, and the spring-actuated pawl engaging one of the notches of the sector-plate to keep the legs in their relative position. Fig. 3 is a plan view on the opposite side to that shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view illustrating the construction of the spring-actuated pawl.

Referring to the drawings, A designates a square constructed of suitable material and having the legs A and A pivoted together, whereby they are rendered capable of being moved laterally to form angles other than a right angle. The legs are reduced in thickness at the pivotal point, in order that the square A may be of uniform thickness throughout its length. The legA is provided at the end at which it is pivoted to the leg A with a sector-plate, B,whichis constructed of suitable sheet metal, secured to the end of the legA' by the pivot O and also bypins,screws, or the like; and the end of the said leg A conforms to the configuration of the sectorplate B. This sector-plate B has upon its curved edge, which is adjacent to the other leg, A a recess, a, that is engaged by a spring must be cut to fit them in position.

actuated pawl, D, secured to the leg A by which construction the legs A and A are held perpendicular to each other to form a square. The SGCfOFPlfilG is also providedwith a graduated scale of degrees, I), on its face, and has a notch, b to each degree, which notches b are adapted to be engaged by the spring-actuated pawl. D to hold the arm A at any desired angle to the arm A The sector-plate B also serves to protect the legs 011 one side at the pivotal point, and the other side is provided with the re-enforcing plate E, which is secured in place by the pivot C and by pins, screws, or the like. The leg A has the spring-actuated pawl, which works in a slot, 1), that terminates in a cylindrical hole, a, into which slides an extension, d, of the pawl D when said pawl D is brought out of engagement with the notched sector-plate B. To keep the pawl I) normally in engagement with the notched sector-plate B, aspiral spring, F, is coiled around the extension cl of the pawl, and bears against the bottom of the opening a and the pawl I) to cause the same to engage the notched sector-plate. I may desire to employ 'a different form of spring, and I desire it to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise details of construction herein shown and described, as I may, without departing from the spirit of the invention, make any minor changes therein. The springactuated pawl has, upon its face, a fingergroove, (1, which facilitates the withdrawal of it from the notched sector-plate B.

The faces of the legs A and A are divided off into inches and feet, and are designed to be provided, when in use, with a series of scales which indicates the hypotenuse or the length of rafters employed in the construction of gabled roofs for a given basis, and also the angles at which the ends of the rafters The first column should indicate the length of the rafters, the second one indicates the angle of the top of the rafters-and the third column gives the angle at the foot of said. rafter.

When it is desired to prepare a rafter, I refer to the scale computed on the required base; and then on a line with the number indicatin g the length of the rafter will be found the angle at which to out the upper end of the rafter, and also the angle at which to out the lower end of i t. The arms of the square are then turned successively to the angles whieh are marked on the rafter, that is then out aeeordinglv.

The foregoing (lUSCl'llllilOll and aeeompan ving drawings, the eonst ruetion, operation, and atlvantages oi. the invention will be readily understood.

.llaving described my invention, I claim- 1. A measuring-instrurnent; for marking oil the angles at which to out rafters, consisting of two legs, pivoted together and designed to be provided with suitableseales, one of the having a spriiig-aetuated pawl and the other provided with a sector-plate having a recess adapted to be engaged by the pawl to hold the legs perpendicular to each other, and a series of notches to be engaged by said pawl, substantially as described.

2. A ineasiu'ing-instrument for marking oil the angles at which to out rafters, consisting of two legs pivoted together, one of said legs having a slot terminating in a eylimlrieal hole and provided with a pawl sliding within the slot and having an extensionand a spring eoiled around the extensions to hold the pawl in an extended p(')sition, and the other one of said legs having a sector-plate provided with a reeess and a series of notches, substantially as and for the purpose deseribed.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in n'esenee of two witnesses.

J'. M. Wnmrrr, J. T. ILUVKINS. 

